The Influence of Feminine Advertising on Women

Helen Reeser's department used their own femininity to understand the female buying public. They believed that one fantasy women held was the desire for a man's complete attention and adoration, so sex appeal and romance would feature heavily in their work. It led Reeser to use sex for the first time in advertising, for a client called Woodbury's Facial Soap. The groundbreaking print ad showed a man nuzzling a woman's neck. By the 1930s, two-thirds of American homes had electricity. Manufacturers were beginning to produce appliances like washing machines, electric irons, gas ranges and vacuums. And women had to be taught how to use them